"Yakuruto!"

Yakult was launched in India a few weeks ago and my Japanese colleagues are all excited about it. On D-day, the company sent us all some free samples - tiny plastic bottles filled with thin, sour liquid with a slightly synthetic taste.

A few days later their direct marketing network was in place and two young girls started making their sales calls thrice a week. My first surprise was that the tiny 'sample' bottles were were no different from the actual bottles -- these were the standard size! It contained no more than 65ml of the liquid, and yet, this was exactly what my colleagues were so ga-ga about.

At first the Yakult-lady had the unprecedented privilege of selling her bottles inside the office. When this was rolled back to the reception desk, the Japs would drop whatever they were doing, head to the reception and come back gleefully with a few five-packs cradling in their arms

What's so great about this fermented milk drink? It is supposed to contain the Shirola strain of Lactobacillus casei which is allegedly good for your digestive system. But I guess conditioning is the key. It is something like our notions about Horlicks or Boost, neither of which has any significant nutritional value, but then nostalgia is a fine marketing tool.

NK recalls his childhood in Hiroshima and of times when the family could not afford to buy this drink (Yen 35 now), so it used to be a great treat to receive it while visiting friends in the neighborhood. Now he buys about 20 bottles a week and his kids are likely to grow up with fond memories of "Yakuruto" in India. The cycle continues, and the company prospers.

Yakult is sold in 28 countries and has diversified into pharmaceuticals (Campto anti-cancer injection). It is listed on the Nekkei and the company owns one of Japan's major baseball franchises, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. In India the drink is manufactured by Yakult Danone India PL at HSIDC Food Park, Rajasthan.

I am not sure if the product will succeed here. Indian consumer's like me would rather have a Mishti-Doi - at Rs.8 its a lot more filling than three gulps of Yakult. If only Mother Dairy would send them around with young girls in bright uniforms...